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yeast overgrowth products?

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Posted 12/10/2010 4:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone! So I'm thinking I might want to give a yeast overgrowth product a try- I have no idea if I actually have an issue with it, but I do crave sweets something fierce, & eat a lot of them! Also, I tend towards white bread, white pasta, etc. SO I thought about trying a homeopathic remedy- any suggestions???? I have used Hylands products in the past with good results. And if in fact my yeast levels are fine, is there any harm in trying one of these treatments? I always think homeopathic stuff is always safe, but.... On another note, I plan to give up sugar for NY's- I rarely do resolutions (why set myself up to fail...!!!), & I will continue to eat white flour in the form of baked goods, etc. But sweets- cookies, candy, cakes, etc. are going to be out in 2011! Yay!
Posted 12/10/2010 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
According to Dr. Robert Atkins, the Atkins diet guru, not only is glutamine effective for healing the digestive tract, (which is what UCers like us need), but that it also snuffs out cravings for sugar.

On page 168 in his book, 'Dr. Atkins' Vita-Nutrient Solution', he talks how glutamine "maintains the structural integrity of the intestines to such an extent that it is dubbed 'intestinal permeability factor.' No other nutrient is as important for gastrointestinal integrity."

Page 169 (look it up the next time you are browsing a B&N bookstore) Atkins says he uses 12 grams (3 teaspoons) daily to curb alcohol cravings and 1-2 grams to curb cravings for sweets.

One heaping teaspoon of powder is 4-5 grams. I prefer powder to avoid the fillers that are found in pills. (I take too many pills with fillers as it is).

I cannot vouch for Atkins but I have heard about the benefits of glutamine from other sources as well.
Posted 12/10/2010 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I highly recommend CANDEX it's been a life saver for me. I sometime just open the capsules and swish around in my  mouth with water and swallow. Hope it helps!
Posted 12/10/2010 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
is that the same as L-glutamine? I notice a lot of people on here post about that stuff, L-glutamine. I'll have to look into it at my health food store- I plan to go there over the wknd. I'll check out that Candex on the internet- thanks!

Posted 12/10/2010 5:47 PM (GMT 0)
L glutamine heals the digestive tract (ulcerations etc) BUT if you have a yeast overgrowth it won't address that or help. If you have any infections you need to get those under control before anything will help (in my opinion). we are currently on diflucan. will try olive leaf extract.
Posted 12/10/2010 8:43 PM (GMT 0)
I think one of the best things we can do is avoid the sweets and the starches. I am trying to do it but it's so hard. Once you've dug the hole, you crave the sugars more than ever! Last week was really bad for me, I must have eaten muffins, breads and pasta every day plus I was craving dessert after all the breads.

Today I went to the store and I tried to get healthy stuff that is not all carbs. If it's in the house, I will eat it!
Posted 12/10/2010 10:20 PM (GMT 0)
me too, as far having sweets around- and this time of year is NO help. We have baked goods at work, candy, etc. from companies we deal with. Then you go home & there's holiday treats, candy.... it stinks! So, I figure to try & not go mental with the sugary stuff, & reqally try super hard after the holidays. I've heard a sugar addiction is as hard to quit as heroin, you feel sick, shaky, etc. when you first stop eating it. Great, psyched for that..... I'm on the fence about trying a yeast control product- if I don't have an overgrowth, will it do anything? I'm hoping just cutting way back on sweets & as many refined carbs & gluten products I can will show some results.
Posted 12/11/2010 12:50 AM (GMT 0)
I keep seeing commercials for all the holiday candy; rocher, mounds, lindts, edible arrangements chocolate coated fruit, peppermint bark, it's so difficult not to cave. I don't know if I can make it a single day without sweets. I need some self discipline!
Posted 12/11/2010 5:14 AM (GMT 0)
Eva Lou, how is the Humira working?

I've been craving sugar and carbs my entire life, lol. However, since I haven't been feeling well this week, I've had no appetite and been forcing myself to eat. I think I will cut out sweets and most carbs. Even when my UC is in remission, I still feel like crap. Hopefully this will help.

Are there specific probiotics to fight yeast? I always see that they recommend probiotics but they haven't been helping me.

ETA: From the research I've done so far, yeast infections are more common in people who are immunocompromised (which I guess we are b/c of biologics). Another interesting tidbit: you can get a yeast infection in your esophagus; it's often characterized by a "stuck-in-the-throat" feeling, which I've also been having the past few months. It's gotten better with antacids, but still...

Posted 12/11/2010 1:34 PM (GMT 0)
At the risk of jinxing myself, the Humira is working really well! It just seems to get better & better- day to day, I have morning urgency & 3-5 bathroom trips on average. Then I'm usually alright for the rest of the day- there is that wild card thrown in sometimes, when I'm running to the bathroom all day, but overall things are very good. I usually get more symptomatic a day or so before I'm due for a shot, but I can live with 1-3 days of trouble. Just before my period too, all hell breaks loose, which is common. It's hard to believe I started it just about 1 year ago- at the 1 year mark with Remicade, it was barely working! I highly recommend Humira to anyone with limited success on Remicade. I also love the 2 week dosing schedule- with Remicade, if I started to feel bad around week 3, there was still a long way to go before that next infusion. With Humira, it's like they come up really quickly, the shots.

I too have heard about probiotics helping with yeast- I've been taking Ultimate Flora Critical Care for ages now, not sure if it's done anything re. yeast. I also brew my own kefir, & drink it pretty much daily, so that's also got tons of probiotics. I thought that my sugar cravings may be related to yeast, but they just as easily could be a product of my own doing- the more sugar I eat, the more I crave! It's bizarre, I know this logically & I fully plan to avoid them- but before I know it, I walk into work (or wherever) & find myself slicing off a big piece of danish, or grabbing "just one more" chocolate. It's like my brain stops, I don't even try to resist! And I know I can just say No, because in times of serious flares I never ate that type of stuff! Frustrating.

Posted 12/11/2010 9:34 PM (GMT 0)
This morning I went out to brunch and I was so proud of myself because I got a half salad and soup. I didn't give in to all the sweets or fried foods. I was dying to get a sandwich or pancakes but I didn't want to eat the bread/sweets. I hope I can continue eating less carbs. Yesterday at the store I only bought healthy snacks. I got carrots, hummus, fruit, peanut butter... I wish I could think of more healthy snacks so I don't constantly crave the sweets.
Posted 12/12/2010 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
you know what works well to curb the sweets craving, yet not make you feel deprived? Fruit based desserts- I've got a mean apple crisp recipe that calls for much less sugar than most, & has oats in the topping for added fiber. It is SO good!!! you could eat it for breakfat & not feel guilty. Also, you figure most of the sugars are coming from the fruit, but at least you get the added vitamins, fiber, nutrients, etc. It's not empty calories or empty sugar- check it out- http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/fabulous-fruit-crisp-941584/   I highly recommend it- am actually making one tomorrow! I use all whole wheat flour, cause that's all I have.  Oh yeah- I picked up some Candex at my health food store today- but am not taking it yet, since I still plan to eat a decent amount of sweets over Xmas. I figure I'll start in January, do the 4 caps a day for a week, then drop to the maintenance dose of 1 capsule a day. We'll see..... I also picked up some Hylans Homeopathic Gas Relief tabs- which do seem to work pretty well! Lately I've had awful gas, nothing else- just gas! But it's still annoying. So I popped 2 tablets after a meal today, & the bountiful gas just seemed to fizzle out.
Posted 12/12/2010 7:21 PM (GMT 0)
That recipe sounds soooooo good to me. I am on Day 2 without eating loads of sweets and carbs. it's really hard. I had egg salad for breakfast, normally I would have pancakes or waffles. So sad without breads and sweets...

I would LOVE to eat that apple crisp. I bookmarked it - maybe after things balance I will make one as a treat to myself.
Posted 12/12/2010 9:19 PM (GMT 0)
Glutamine and L-Glutamine are the same thing. If you really want inspiration and moral support for ending your craving for sweets may I suggest watching the movie ‘Super Size Me’. It came out in 2004 and I found it to be very powerful. It helped break my addiction to Pepsi even before I was diagnosed with UC. Can be rented or you can find it playing once in a while on the less commercial cable channels.

www.imdb.com/title/tt0390521/
Posted 12/12/2010 11:02 PM (GMT 0)
SCD vs. anti-Candida diet...

Any thoughts? They seem to overlap a bit, but there are some differences. For example, potatoes and okra are allowed in the anti-Candida diet, but not the SCD diet. Olives are allowed in the SCD diet, but not the anti-Candida one.  And I'm scared to cut out carbs b/c I've always been underweight. Are whole wheat and/or gluten-free carbs okay? And because of oral allergy syndrome, I can't eat fresh fruit unless I take Zyrtec (which doesn't work for bananas and grapes). It's so confusing and I don't know where to start! shocked I know I can at least cut out sugar...

Another movie to watch is Food, Inc. It is awful how farmers treat their animals and how much crap our food has.

Posted 12/13/2010 3:32 PM (GMT 0)
yeah, that fruit crisp recipe is REALLY good- I use Granny Smiths mostly, & the tangy apples & sweet topping are just unreal. Plus, since it's fairly "healthy", I don't feel guilty about giving my daughter (or myself) a nice helping. There probably isn't much gluten in it- aside from the oatmeal, you could probably use any type of flour-rice, nut, etc. And only 1/3 cup sugar! Well, the maple syrup must add some too. But you could tweak it, use less sweeteners, etc. I've seen both those movies, & am actually quite the "whole food/local food" proponent as is- I don't buy packaged foods, make basically everything from scratch (including BBQ sauce, applesauce, etc), & rarely dine out. Super Size Me was good, but didn't do much to change my dietary habits, as I don't eat in fast food places, don't drink soda, etc. It seemed to be more about our cultures overconsumption of everything, not just food. Definitely entertaining, though! I just have a nasty sweet tooth- candy, baked goods, etc. I'm not planning to follow any specific diet, SCD or anti-candida, just going to wing it.

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